1. What have you found most challenging as a leader of a small or medium enterprise?

luck of structure which in most cases is the results of not having a clear direction

2. How did you become a leader of an SME? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I went through commenders school in the army which definitely helped me to become a better leader. when you're in combat people will follow you because they believe in you not because you tell them to.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

It really depends on the company and the stage.
In some companies, I had to stay late so I could sync before the other team started their day.
I'm a big believer in waking up early and organizing my day, Going through my to-do list, and marking 2 things that I must complete by the end of the day.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

oh, that's a tough one... I believe in setting expectations and clear goals and often check-ins, this doesn't have to be technical but checking in with your team and seeing if there's anything I can do to help them.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

I can't think about one book, I do find Simon Sinek's books helpful with tons of insights.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in an SME?

Empower people, define a company's DNA.
I'm a big believer in KPI and make sure everyone understands what the company KPI's and why those are.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader of an SME so far?

Always empower your employee and think about what's good for them and for me. I've helped one of my reports build his own startup.